Pacific Paddler April 2016 - (Page 47)

How to improve your paddling Through my years of coaching outrigger paddling, I've noticed some mistakes people in training often make. The two most common, which appear time and time again, are a lack of focus on "top end" training, and avoidance of building ama control and balance skills. Let's take a look at these challenges in more detail. Focus on training the "top end" Some keen paddlers put too much emphasis on long distance workouts, and not enough on developing their top end output. Your "top end" is your fastest, most explosive and powerful stroke. It's the burst of speed you need to pull yourself onto a wave. Unfortunately, it's the hardest to train for and the quickest to fade when it is ignored. When you have a solid top end, it allows you to successfully catch more waves by accelerating your canoe in a series of well-timed bursts. You can train for this by: Adding tempo changes (increases and decreases in rating) for 5-10 strokes in flat-water workouts. The purpose is to develop the skill of accelerating and then relaxing. Condition your body to paddle at a higher tempo with short (less than one minute) intervals at a fast rating. Develop explosive power at a higher rating by adding resistance (bungee, tennis ball, or similar around the hull of your canoe) at a fast rating. You'll know you're doing it right when a relatively short workout of one hour or less leaves you feeling exhausted. canoe is vital to overall improvement. Sitting and paddling centered on your canoe, having a reliable brace stroke, and being able to quickly recover from a huli are a few components of this. The downsides of not being balanced are many. Here are a few: Lack of power on the right side Potential injury to your back and hips Creating ama drag by leaning too far left Most people are not aware of how much they are leaning onto the ama. To improve this, develop the following skills and add drills to your workout that focus specifically on balance and ama control. Perfect the mechanics of your brace stroke. By doing this, paddling on the right will start to feel safer, and you'll be able to apply more power. Practice flying your ama to become familiar with the balance point. Sit centered, knees and legs parallel to the gunnel, not knees to the left. Don't be afraid to huli. When you start exploring the limits of your brace stroke and balance, it's part of the learning curve. Be patient and practice specific skills regularly by doing them at the beginning and end of your workout. The more you practice the skills, the more instinctive they will become when it matters most - out in the ocean having fun surfing. Hawaii Paddle Camps started in 2014 with a focus on women paddlers, both local and international, who want to come to Oahu to gain experience and coaching in Hawaiian waters. The camps are small, with a maximum of five participants, last for five days and are intense, with a lot of individual attention. These camps are designed to challenge athletic paddlers to improve their skills with the support of an immersive-coached environment. We incorporate paddling technique, skills, surfing, mind set and training concepts both on and off the water. We also run mixed, and men's camps. 2016 camp dates and details can be found here: www. hawaiipaddlecamps.com/hawaiicampdates. A more in depth version of this article and regular blogs will be sent to you when you sign up for our mailing list at www.hawaiipaddlecamps.com. ANNA MATHISEN Developing ama & balance skills Developing balance while paddling your APRIL 2016 PACIFICPADDLER.com 47 http://www.hawaiipaddlecamps.com/hawaiicampdates http://www.hawaiipaddle http://www.camps.com http://www.PACIFICPADDLER.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Paddler April 2016

Epic Kayaks Makapu'u Dash
KIRA SUP Hi Kai to Magic Island
Kona Brewing Co-Maui Jim Waterman Challenge
The Allstate Oahu Championships 16
PAA Koa Nui
Kauai Hoe Wa' a
Keizo Gates on OC-1 design
Escort Boats Hawaii
What's shaking on Hawaii Island
Koolauloa Canoe Paddling
Aloha 'ohana hoe wa'a!
20 Years of New York Paddling
Fitness secrets for paddlers
How to improve your paddling
Dates for your paddling calendar
On my Bucket List

Pacific Paddler April 2016